OK, so I’m being defensive

I thought about this while watching the Braves — big movers before the trade deadline — lose 12-11 to Houston in 14 innings … almost entirely because of three errors that led to two unearned runs. Sure, they upgraded their offense and bullpen, but they still are one of the worst defensive teams in baseball.

The Mariners rank fourth in the American League in fielding percentage. An average major league team has committed 67 errors this year. The Ms have booted just 58. Imagine where this team would be, considering its paltry run differential (plus two) with nine more errors.

The Angels, with 66 errors, are an inferior defensive team compared to the M’s (though Orlando Cabrera obviously is a first-rate shortstop), and that couldn’t have been clearer in the M’s 8-7, 12-inning victory Wednesday.

The Angels weren’t charged with any errors, but they repeatedly failed to make plays that the M’s do routinely, particularly with Maicer Izturis struggling as a makeshift second baseman with Howie Kendrick still on the disabled list.

—The coaches poll is out. Big surprise: USC is No. 1. Other Pac-10 teams: No. 12 California and No. 17 UCLA. The Big Ten has three top-10 teams; the SEC six teams in the top 20. Oregon State, Oregon, Arizona and Washington State also received votes — though single votes for the Wildcats and Cougars suggest that pollsters Bob Stoops (giving props to his brother, Mike) and Bill Doba might have gone homer. A little surprised no one tapped Arizona State with new coach Dennis Erickson.

—Time for a media critique. Many fans — and athletes and coaches — don’t know this but reporters and columnists don’t write the headlines. An editor does. Sometimes there’s a disconnect between the editor and the writer. Sometimes the editor writes a florid/lurid headline to lure readers in, no matter what the column says. Then the writer has to deal with a coach or athlete whose head exploded after reading the headline (and nothing else). Other times the editor wants to make his own editorial point. This is an example of a bad headline. The columnist here had a tough job. He had to write a column about nothing — Barry Bonds not hitting a home run. I read this column because of the headline: “Dodger blue is coward yellow.” I assumed it would be a really stupid column. It wasn’t. But the headline was.